Sun Yang dusted himself off and walked out with a grin. "That thing was a real pain, but thankfully I have you all!"
"Don’t be so modest. You pulled your weight in that fight just now."
Li Chang’an smiled. "Everyone did a great job!"
"But who was that person from before?"
Bai Lin walked over, his expression puzzled. "He just vanished without a trace. It feels like he deliberately lured us here."
"That is a bit strange."
Li Chang’an nodded, his gaze fixed on the distant mountain cliff. "This might just be the beginning," he said in a heavy tone. "The real enemy hasn’t revealed themselves yet."
"Seriously, what’s that guy’s deal?"
Sun Yang wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Li Chang’an in confusion. "He just vanished like that? Feels like he left a huge problem for us to solve."
"Yeah, he clearly could have fought us head-on, but he chose to lead us here instead."
Han Ruoxi also frowned. "That guy definitely has some other objective."
"His goal might be more than just fighting us."
Shen Qiuyue analyzed calmly, her eyes scanning the surroundings. "Luring us here... it might have been to test our strength, or to prepare for his next move."
"Doesn’t that just mean things are about to get more troublesome?"
Sun Yang clicked his tongue, a hint of resignation in his voice. "I really thought the mission would be over once we took care of these mechanical monsters."
"Don’t be so optimistic."
"This enemy isn’t simple," Li Chang’an said, wiping his Saw Chain Sword. "That combat machine was just an appetizer."
"An appetizer?"
Han Ruoxi shook her head with a wry smile. "I really don’t want to know what the main course is."
"We need to keep scouting. There can’t be just these things here."
Bai Lin said with a frown as he checked his equipment, "The signal interference is still present, which means something else hasn’t shown itself yet."
"It’s not over yet?"
Sun Yang sounded exasperated. "Shouldn’t we just go back to base and return with a larger force? This could be a major conspiracy for all we know!"
"Returning isn’t out of the question."
Li Chang’an nodded, his gaze drifting toward the distance. "But if we go back now, things might be even more troublesome once the enemy has finished their preparations."
"He’s right. We need to figure out their plan as soon as possible."
Shen Qiuyue looked up at the distant mountain face. "There’s a valley up ahead. I think the enemy might be there."
"Alright, let’s keep moving forward then."
Li Chang’an gestured for the team to gather. "Everyone, stay alert. Don’t get separated."
The Insect Hunter Squad quickly readied their gear and continued deeper into the valley.
The valley was even quieter now. Besides the sound of the wind, there was hardly another sound to be heard.
"This place is too quiet."
Han Ruoxi couldn’t help but whisper, her eyes darting around. "Something feels off."
"The quieter it is, the bigger the problem."
Li Chang’an walked at the head of the group, his gaze fixed forward. "Everyone, be ready. We could be attacked at any moment."
The words had barely left his mouth when the ground began to shake violently. Several massive cracks suddenly split open on the distant cliff face. A blast of scalding air erupted, accompanied by a piercing roar, as several enormous Mechanical Warriors slowly emerged from the fissures.
"I knew it wasn’t over!"
Sun Yang shouted, quickly raising his Pulse Gun. "It’s not just a few of them this time! Looks like this will keep us busy for a while!"
These Mechanical Warriors were even larger than the previous combat machine. They held massive Energy Weapons, their bodies radiated a scorching glow, and every step they took seemed to land with thunderous force.